Bundling machine



July 23, 1940. J. R ROSENLEAF 2,208,856

BUNDLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 17, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEMOR.

. 754, #fiJO/r/QRA BY ATfORNEYJ.

July 23, 1940. J. R. ROSENLEAF 2.208.855

BUNDLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 17,1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 4.1 Y J51, .17 jean/f,

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Patented July 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUNDLING MACHINE pany, Enterprise, Kana, a corporation of Kansas Application August 1 7, 1938, Serial No. 225,304

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in machines for handling plaster board laths. In the present commercial art, the usual practice is to form the plaster board laths into bundles of four or five laths laid one on top of the other and to secure these laths in bundles formed by means of adhesive material. hesive material is placed over the edges of the bundle and is caused to adhere to the edges and to the top and bottom surfaces of the top and bottom laths.

The present invention relates to improvements in machines for applying the adhesive strips to the bundle and is so designed that the strips of adhesive material, preferably paper, will be secured to the laths in spaced apart intervals along the sides and on the ends of the bundles.

A further object of my invention is to provide a semi-automatic machine wherein the bundle is formed by the operator stacking the boards by hand and then moving the bundle to a bundling platform on which the operation of applying the strips of adhesive is performed. After the strips have been placed on the bundle, the

bundle is then moved off of the machine before a new stack is placed on the bundling platform.

' For the purpose of disclosing my invention, I

have illustrated an embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig.-3 is a detail sectional view of one of the control valves;

Fig. 4 is another detail sectional view of one of the control valves;

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of the adhesive applying mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the air circuit and electric circuit arrangement; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the completed bundles.

In the embodiment of the invention, I provide a suitable frame work which includes a pair of a bottom rails I mounted on suitable swivel wheels 2 to permit the movement of the structure from place to place. These bottom rails have suitable cross braces and at one end have extending upwardly therefrom, vertical angle irons 3, at each corner, as well as diagonally extending angle irons 4. These angles support a top assembly frame 5 comprising the two side rails 6 which in turn support rollers I.

A receiving frame or platform is likewise formedat the opposite end of the structur which Usually, this adcomprises the two angle legs 8 and the two diagonally disposed angle legs 9. The legs 6 extend vertically from the rails 4 and the legs 9 extend upwardly and diagonally to support the pair of side rails in which, in turn, have mounted thereon suitable rolls ll. Additional bracing legs, such as l2 and 13 extend upwardly from the bottom rails I to additionally support the platform.

A vertically movable platform is arranged between the assembly and receiving platform. This platform comprises a bed or plate It adapted to vertically move between the-corner posts 3 and 8 and support on its top a series of rollers l5. This bed or plate is mounted upon'ja vertically movable plunger l6 operating in a cylinder l'l.

Surrounding the corner posts 8 and 3 and supported thereby, at a level slightly below the level of the assembly and receiving platforms, I provide a frame IS, in turn secured to the corner post, and this frame supports a plurality, eight in number, of strip applying apparatus, designated generally by the referencenumeral l9. It is to be noted that there are two of these strip applying devices at each end and two on each side.

Each of these strip applying devices comprises an operating cylinder 20 having a piston 2| carrying a U-shaped yoke provided with top legs 22 and bottom legs 23. In addition to the yoke which is immovably connected to the piston 2|, I provide a plunger 2 biased in its outer position by a coiled spring 24' and mounted on a plunger 25 adapted to telescope the piston 2i.

Associated with each of the strip-applying devices I9 is a strip feeding mechanism, suitably mounted on the frame and comprising a feeding roll 26 preferably concave on its periphery and a glue applying roll 26' cooperating therewith preferably convex on its periphery and operating in a glue pot 21. The feeding roll 26 is rotated in one direction, to feed the paper or other strip of material by a suitable lever 28 having a pawl and ratchet connection, of any desired type, with the roll 26 so that, looking at Fig. 5, upon the downward movement of the lever 29 the roll 26 will be rotated clockwise, while on the upward movement of the lever, the roll will remain stationary. The paper is preferably fed from a paper roll 26" and passes upwardly between the feed roll 26 and the glue roll 26' a sufficient distance to overlap the top surface of the bundle. When the paper is in this position and the piston 2| is moved to the left, looking at Fig. 5, the paper will be folded over the to and bottom surfaces the edges of the bundle. bein clamped thereon by the top and bottom fingers 22 and 23- of the yoke and being pressed against the edge by the plunger 24. being held in this position by the mechanismuntil the glue has had sufllcient time to set. On the applying stroke 01' the plunger 2|, the paper is severed from the strip through the medium of a stationarily-mounted knife blade 30 against which operates a shearing blade 3| carried on the bottom yoke member 23.

Each 01' the strip applying devices is similar so that it is not considered necessary to describe more than one.

Each of the strip applying devices i9 is operated by fluid pressure, preterablyair under pressure. and the piston it of the bundling platform is operated from the same source. To this end, I preierably mount on the frame 8 a pressure tank 32 which may be supplied with compressed air from any suitable source as by an air compressor or other means. This tank is connected by a suitable pipe 38 through-a solenoid operated valve 3d of the type illustrated in Fig. 3, with the cylinder ll of the platform raising apparatus and leading from the valve 35 are a pair of branch pipes 35 and 36 leading respectively above and below the piston oi the plunger it.

The tank 32 is also connected with the cylinders 2d of the strip applying devices through a valve 37 likewise of the type illustrated in Fig. 3 from which extends branch pipes 38 and 38' leading respectively in front of andback of the piston of the plungers 2% of the cylinders 20 so that when air under pressure is admitted through the branch 38. the plungers of the strip applying devices will be retracted and when admitted through the branch 38 the plungers will be moved forward to strip applying position.

The solenoid control valves 34 and 31 are each of the same type as illustrated in gigs. 3 and 4. In the structure illustrated in Fig. 3, the valve casing is provided with an intake opening db and an exhaust opening 39' as well as a pair of delivery openings 30 and 4|. These ports or openings are controlled by suitable vertically movable valves 32 and 43 mounted on a valve stem 34 which is biased in its raised or closed position by a coiled spring 45. The stem 44 projects into a pressure chamber 46 and is connected to a diaphragm 41. Pressure is admitted to this chamber 46, above the diaphragm 41 through a valve control port 48 connected by the passages 49 and 50, with the delivery intake 39. A bleed- Bl opening controlled by an adjustable valve 52 is adapted to exhaust the chamber 46 through the passage 53.

In operation, when the solenoid 54 of this valve is energized, it raises its core 55, thereby tion.

The solenoid for the valve 31 is controlled through the medium of a suitable electromag-- netically operated switch 51, the circuit of which is in turn controlled by a pair of switches 58 and 5!, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The circuit through the solenoid for the valve 34 is controlled by an 'electromagnetically operated switch 64. the circuit of which is controlled by a pair of switches 4| and I2, purpose ior' which will more fully hereinafter appear.

The switch 62 is operated by a stop plate 43 which is adapted to be projected through a suitable solenoid 64 into the path of the lathed bundle as it is moved from the assembly table on to the bundling table. The solenoid i4 ior this stop plate 83 is controlled by a switch 55 mounted on the irame and in the path of the assembled laths as they are moved from the assembly table to the bundling table.

In operation, assuming that the bundling platform G5 has been lowered and the binding tapes applied thereto, a fresh supply of boards or laths to be bundled are stacked one on top of the other on the loading or assembling table. being evened by the side rail 56 and the end rail 41. When the stack gets to the desired height, the last board on the stack will open the normally closed switch 58. This, in turn, the switch 59, having been closed by the lowering of the bundling table, will close the circuit through the solenoid winding 58 of the control switch 51. The solenoid of the electromagnetically operated switch 5'5 is thus deenergized operating the control valve 3? to admit pressure through the pipe 38 and its associated branches to the front end of the cylinders 2d thus retracting the clamping yoke havingthe fingers 22 and 23 and the pressure plunger 23, thereby releasing the bundie on the bundling platform. One of the cylinders is provided with a trip 88 and this cylinder is timed to move a little more slowly than the remaining cylinders, to insure the full retraction of the clamping yokes by the time that the trip 59 operates the switch arm or lever l0. By the time the trip 69 has engaged and moved the lever lit, all or the clamping yokes will have been fully retracted from the bundle leavingthe bundle clear. The operation of the lever '70 by the trip 89 will open the normally closed switch Bl, thereby deenergizing the winding 1| of the magnetically operated switch 60 and opening the circuit, which has heretofore been closed,

through the solenoid controlling the valve 34.

With the opening of the solenoid, the valve 34 is moved to a position to admit pressure to the bottom of the cylinder l1 and exhaust pressure from the top of the cylinder I'I thereby moving the plunger l5 and with it the bundling platform upwardly until it is level with the assembly platform. The machine is now in condition to receive a new stack of boards. As the stack of boards is moved from the assembly platform on to the bundling platform, it contacts with the normally open switch 65 thereby closing this switch. The closing of this switch energizes the circuit of the solenoid 64 thereby lowering the stop finger. As the new stack of boards is moved toward the bundling platform, it engages and operates the trip switch 85. This closes the'circult through the solenoid 84 which solenoid retracts the stop finger 83 thus permitting the taped bundle to move oil the bundling platform and on tothe receiving platform. This switch 65 remains closed so long as the stack of boards engages the switch. As soon, however, as the stack passes oil! the switch 65, the solenoid 64 becomes deenergized, permitting the stop finger 63 to be raised into a stop position, preventing the boards from overrunning the bundling table and, at the same time, the ends of the boards coming in contact with the stop finger 63 will move the stop finger to close the switch 52. The closing of the switch 42, which is a normally open switch, establishes a circuit through the winding ll of the electromagnetic switch 60, thereby energizing the electromagnet controlling the valve 34 and admitting pressure to the top of the cylinder l1 and exhausting the same from the bottom of the cylinder l'l thus causing a lowering of the plunger l6 and with it the bundling platform.

As the platform I4 is lowered, it depresses the rods 29 controlling the levers 28 thereby operating the feed roll 26 to elevate an additional length of the glue strips into a position to be applied to the stacked laths. As the table I4 is lowered, it engages the normally open switch 59 closing the circuit through the winding 68 of the electromagnetically operated switch 51. This energizes the winding of the solenoid valve 31 thus moving the valve to a position to admit pressure through the pipe 38' and its associated branches to the rear of the cylinders 20 moving the pistons of the cylinders forwardly and forcing the fingers 22 and 23 of the clamping yokes over the edge of the bundle and at the same time forcing the plungers 24 against the edges of the stack so as to force the adhesive strips tightly against the edges of the stacks and over the top and bottom surfaces of the stack, thus forming a plurality of binders for holding the bundle in assembled position. The parts will thus remain in this position, permitting the glue to set, while a new stack of boards or laths are assembled on the assembling table until, as heretofore explained, the stack gets high enough for the top board to operate the switch 58, as heretofore described.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a bundling machine for applying strips of fibrous binder to the edges of a bundle of wall board laths, the combination with a bundling table, of a plurality of strip applying means disposed on each side of said table, each including a clamping yoke having the arms thereof sufficiently spaced to receive a predetermined num-- ber of stacked wall boards, a cylinder and a piston operating therein connected to each of said yokes, means for moving a gummed strip of fibrous material between the edges of said stacked wall boards and said yokes, and means for simultaneously controlling the flow of fluid pressure to said cylinders for operating said pistons to advance and retract said yokes.

2. In a bundling machine for applying strips of fibrous binder to the opposite edges of a series of stacked wall boards, the combination with a reciprocating table, means for raising and lowering said table, a plurality of strip applying devices supported adjacent the edges of said table and at a level to be opposite the edges of the stack of wall boards on said table when the same is lowered, each of said strip applying devices comprising a yoke having its fingers spaced apart sufliciently to receive between the same a stack of wall boards, means for moving a gummed strip of fibrous material between said yokes and the edges of said stack when the stack is lowered with the table and means for forcing said yokes over said strips and wall board to fold the strips on to the top and bottom surfaces of said wall board stack and force the strips against the edges of said wall board stacks.

3. In a bundling machine for applying binding strips of fibrous material to a stack of wall boards, the combination with an assembly table, of a table, means for vertically raising and lowering said bundling table to a'level with an assembly table and to a level below the assembly table, a plurality of strip applying devices disposed at the edge of said bundling table at the lower level thereof, means for moving a gum strip between each of said strip applying devices and the edge of the stack of wall boards, means for moving said strip applying devices toward and from the stack of wall boards, means controlled by the lowering of said bundling table for causing said strip applying devices to be moved toward the stack of wall boards for applying said strips, and means controlled by the stacking of the wall boards on the assembly table for causing the operating means to retract said strip applying devices from applying position.

4. In a bundling machine for applying strips of fibrous material to the edges of a stacked bundle Of wall boards, the combination with an assembly table, of a bundle-supporting table, means for raising and lowering said bundlesupporting table, a plurality of strip applying devices disposed at the edge of said bundlesupporting table when the same is in its lowered position, means for moving a strip of gummed fibrous binding material betwen each of said strip applying devices, means for moving said strip applying devices in one direction to apply said gum strips to the wall board stack, and means operated by the movement of the wall board stack on to the bundle-supporting table for causing the operation of said raising and lowering means to lower the table to a level to receive the gummed strips.

5. In a bundling machine for applying to a stack of wall boards binding strips of fibrous material, the combination with a table, means for raising and lowering said table, means disposed at the edge of said bundling table and at itslower level for applying a plurality oft-strips of gummed fibrous binding material, means for projecting said applying means into applying position and for retracting the same, and means operated by the retraction of at least one of said applying means for causing, said table operating means to raise the table to a receiving level.

6. In a bundling machine for applying a plurality of binding strips to the edge of a stacked bundle of wall boards, the combination with -a bundle-supporting table, means for raising and lowering said bundle-supporting table, an .assembly table adjacent said bundle-supporting table when the same is in its raised position, strip applying means adjacent the table when in its lower position, means for moving said strip applying means toward and from the stacked bundle of wall boards, means operated by the lowering of said table for causing said strip applying operating means to move the same into applying position, means operated by the assembly of a stack of wall boards on the assembly table for moving the strip applying means into a retracted position and means operated by the movement of at least one of said strip applying means to its retracted position for causing said table operating means to raise the table to a level with the assembly table.

7. In a bundling machine for applying strips of fibrous binding material to the edges of a stack of wall boards, the combination with a bundle-supporting table and an assembly table, means for vertically raising and lowering said bundle-supporting table to a level with the assembly table and below the level of the assembly table, strip applying means adjacent the table when the same is in its lower position, means for projecting and retracting said strip applying means, means operated by the lowering of said table to cause said projecting and retracting means to project the strip applying means into applying position, means operated by the assembly of a stack of wall boards on the assembly table for causing said strip applying projecting and retracting means to retract the same, means operated by the retraction of at least one of said strip applying means for causing the operation of said table operating means to raise the table, and means operated by the movement of an assembled stack of wall boards on the bundlesupporting table for causing said table operating means tolower the table.

8. In a bundling machine for applying strips of fibrous binder to the opposite edges of a series of stacked wall boards, the combination with a vertically movable table having a receiving level and a strip-applying level, means disposed adjacent the table at .the strip applying level for applying strips of gummed fibrous material at the edges of the bundled boards, means operated by the movement of the table to strip applying level for causing said strip applying means to operate to apply the strips, an assembly table, means operated by the stacking of the boards to a predetermined level for moving said strip applying means to inoperative position, and means operated by the movement of said strip applying means to inoperative position for causing the movement of the table to receiving level.

9. In a bundling machine for applying strips of fibrous binding material to the opposite edges of a series of stacked wall boards, the combination with a vertically movable table having a receiving level and a strip applying level, means disposed at the strip applying level for applying strips of fibrous binder to the: edges of the stacked wall boards on said table, means operated by the movement of the table to strip applying level for rendering said strip applying means operative, an assembly table, means controlled by the assembly of the wall boards to a predetermined height on said assembly table for causing the r strip applying means to be moved to operative position, means controlled by the movement of the strip applying means to an inoperative position for causing the moving of the first-mentioned table to a receiving level, and means controlled by the movement of the bundle of boards on the first-mentioned table for causing the same to move to strip applying level.

10. In a bundling machine for applying strips of fibrous binder to the edges of a series of stacked wall boards, the combination with a vertically movable table having a receiving level and a strip applying level, a limit stop for limiting the movement of the wall boards on to said table, means associated with said table at its strip applying level for applying binder strips to the bundle of wall boards carried by the table, means operated by the moving of the table to strip applying level for rendering said strip applying means operative, an assembly table, means operated by the stacking of the boards to a predetermined level onsaid assembly table for rendering said strip applying means inoperative, means rendered operative by the movement of said strip applying means to inoperative position for raising said first-mentioned table to receiving level, and means operated by the movement of the stack of boards from the assembly table to the first-mentioned table for moving said limit stop out of stopping position to permit the wall boards on the first-mentioned table to move off of the same as a new stack 01. wall boards is moved on the same.

11. In a bundling machine for applying strips of fibrous binder to the edges of a series of stacked wall boards, the combination with a vertically movable table having a receiving level and a strip applying level, a plurality of strip applying means disposed adjacent the ends and sides of the table at the strip applying level, and means for simultaneously moving all of said strip applying means to strip applying position when the table reaches its strip applying level.

JOHN R. ROSENLEAF. 

